MSNBC political commentator Chris Matthews appeared on “Morning Joe” Wednesday and said Evangelical Christians don’t understand the politics of Israel because they have “mythical” beliefs about it.

Matthews connected President Donald Trump’s expected decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital to Roy Moore’s Senate campaign in Alabama. He said support for Israel among Evangelicals comes from their “crazy ideas about Israel.”

“Don’t think this isn’t related to Alabama next week. It is related,” Matthews said. “Because it’s the Christian Evangelicals down there with their crazy ideas about Israel which is, I don’t know, mythical.”….

Well, I guess I am mis-remembering, as I thought most of our recent Presidents had recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital; they just didn’t have the spine to actually move the embassy. At least, numerous votes have been taken in Congress to move the embassy, haven’t they? The President just always wimps out by issuing the waiver on actually following thru. Plus, I love the hypocrisy – like, it is such a RADICAL idea for the world to acknowledge a sovereign nation’s choice of a capital city. We could likely find reasons to reject every sovereign country’s choice of capital & just decide to have our embassy in some other random city. It is amazing that we do not treat any other country that way! No, I am afraid ol’ Chris “Tingles” Matthews is the Crazy One here.

It’s fair to ask the pragmatic question of whether moving the embassy will create real-world friction that otherwise could have been avoided. I’m ready to hear that argument from anyone who acknowledges that the move is reasonable and appropriate, but it might trigger an adverse reaction from bigots and anti-Semites, which could upset some apple carts and make the move more trouble than it’s worth. But I’m not ready to hear that argument from people who thinks there’s something inherently bad or evil about Jerusalem being the capital of Israel.

Matthews is wrong about timing of announcement being chosen to affect Alabama Senate election on 12/12. Presidents have to sign or not sign waiver to 1995 law on moving embassy every 6 months. That next decision date is 12/11/17. So really Trump’s choices were sign waiver on 12/11 the day before vote, or cancel waiver the week before so it doesn’t affect vote, which is what he did.